Folding go-cart.



No. 782,930. PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905. v

E. L. THOMPSON.

FOLDING GO-GART.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. L. THOMPSON. 1

I FOLDING GO-OART. I APPLICATION rum) snr'r. 24, 1904.

PATBNTED FEB. 21, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNIT ED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING eo-can'r.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 782,930, dated February21, 1 905.

Application filed September 24, 1904. Serial No. 225.732.

To a who/n, it 'HMI/J/ concern.-

Be it known that l, ELwIN L. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Bald winsville, in the county of Worcester and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Folding (io-Carts, ofwhich the following description, in connection with theaccompanyingdrawings, is aspecification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel foldinggo-cart so constructed and arranged that while of light weight, strongand simple, and quickly and readily foldable into a compact form fortransportation or storage it possesses great resiliency and flexlbllityso far as concerns the comfort of the occupant, with the strength anddurability requisite for'safety when in use.

In the present embodiment of my invention the body, comprising seat,back, and arms, is pivotally mounted upon and connected with therunning-gear, their axles,and spring side bars connecting them. I makethe running-gear non-collapsi- 'ble,and thus independent of thefoldingaction,

so that its strength is very materially increased and the resiliency ofthe spring members thereof is distributed in a better manner and withgreater ease to'the occupant than is compatible with collapsing orfoldable runmug-gear.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described inthe subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in thefollowing claims.

Figure 1 isa side elevation of a go-cart embodying one form of mypresent invention in upright position.- Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional detail, enlarged, taken through the cent-er of the seat. Fig.3 is a side elevation of the go-cart in folded position. Fig. 4 is asidc elevation of a modification of the go-cart in upright position.Fig-.5 is a back view thereof; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of themodification, showing the go-cart folded in full lines, an intermediateposition assumed ]during the folding being indicated by dotted mes;

5 1 have herein showitherunning-gear as the latter including wheels,

noncollapsible and comprising front and rear' axles a F, of suitableconstruction, equipped, respectively, with wheels A B (the latter beingshown as of considerably larger diameter) and fore and aft springmembers or side bars a. strong yet light spring metal and are continuousfrom end to endand fixedly secured at their. opposite ends to the axles,the spring or resilience of the side bars being increased at the backof, the vehicleby bending them to form C-springs 0 The main portions ofthe side bars are well above the axles and substantially horizontal, asshown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 6, and their front ends are bent down at c.to the axle a", afoot-rest f being attached by .brackets fto the partsa. A skeleton running-gear is thus formed, strong, 'light,

'yet possessing great resiliency for the proper and comfortable supportof the body of the go-cart.-

Referring to Figs. 1, 2', and 3, the side bars have rigidly-securedthereto near the front ends of their horizontal portions depending ears0 and, rigid upturned ears 0 above the C-springs. The back of the bodyand the seat It are pivotally connected at It the lower ends-of thehandle-bars it of the back extending below the seat and having ears Itrigidly secured thereto and forwardly extended. Pivots [b connect thehandle-bars with the upturned ears 0 of the running-gear, so that theback can swing between the side bars 0 on the fulcra if when the go-cartis folded or unfolded. The depending ears 0 have fulcrumed thereon at hupturned arms it, connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar It, whichswings below the seat It and supports the latter at its front end (seeFigs.,1 and 2) when the go-cart is unfolded. Links b are pivotallyconnected with the ears I? on the handle-bars and with the arms it atIt, so that the arms will swing on their fulcra it oppositely to theback when it is swung on its fulcra It. or keeper 7t in the bottom ofthe seat is adapted to cooperate with the cross-bar It when the body isin upright position, and a guard It extends beneath the seat fore andaft to limit the swinging movement of the arms b.- Side arms h arefulcrumed at It on the handle- A locking stud front end of the guard kand the keeper h",

as in Figs. 1 and 2, the body is locked from swinging movement withrelationito the running-gear and can only be unlocked by lifting thefront end of the seat It far enough to cause the stud or keeper to clearthe cross-bar. Then to fold the go-cart into small compass for carryingit about or for storage when not in use the upperend of the back isswung forward in the direction of arrow 75, Figs. 1 and 2. The

. links 127 are then pulled back, causing the arnris h to swing rearwardon their fulcra h in the direction'of arrow 76, Fig. 2, the arms, beingextended between the side bars 0 of the running-gear. As the forwardswing of the back is continued it folds down upon the seat, the links hacting simultaneously to swing the.

' side arms up against the handle-bars h'of the back; but at the sametime the backward swing of arms h 'on their fulcra It carries thecrossbar it along the guard-to the rear end thereof, permitting thefront of the seat k to descend until the ends of the links h rest attheir pivotal points It upon the side bars, as shown in Fig. 3. In suchfolded position the go-cart is-manifestly very compact and occupies verylittle room, so that it can becarried about readily or hung up out ofthe way when not in use.

During the folding operation the connecf tion-points it between thelinks it and arms it gradually approach a straight line between therelatively fixed fulc'rumpoints 71 h, and the length of the links it issuch that just before final folded position is reached thepoints h arecaused to snap below the straight line between said relatively fixedfulcra, locking the body in folded position. This snapor jumpispermitted by theresiliency of the side ,bars a, so that when thegocart is completely folded, as in Fig. 3-, the parts ,will be retainedfolded until a hard enough pull is given the back away from therunning-gear to overcome the resiliency of the side bars a and permitthe points it t6 snap baek past dead-centeron the upper side. Then the,unfolding is completed by returning the back and seat to the positionshdwn in Figs. 1 and 2, the studio being inclined and provided with arounded end to let the c ross-bar it pass beneath it to lockingpositlon. The swinging arms and cross bar thus act not only tosupportthe front endof the seat, but also as a latchdevice, to 6 lockthe body in upright position. 5

In the modified construction'shown in Figs..

continued 4, 5, and-6 the running-gearis the same; but the back and seat7) b of the body are rela-' tively fixed and conveniently made of bentwood, the seat being curved overand down in front at 72 to form asupport for the legs of the occupant. Truss-braces 12 made of rigid ironstraps, are secured to the 'under side of the seat 72. and its curvedfront 7;, the rear ends of the braces being attached to the lower endsof the handle-bars la, secured to the back 6. Upturned ears 1 aresecured to the side bars about the center of the horizontal portionsthereof, and similar ears 2 are attached at thefront ends of suchportions. Depend- :ing links 3 are rigidly attached to the body beneaththe seat,-their lower ends being fulcrumed at 4 on the ears 1, the linksextending between the said ears and-forming a pivotal or swingingconnection between the body 'and the running-gear, the weight of theoc-' cupant being transmitted by the supportinglinks directly to thespring side bars 0. The seat is made of less width than the distancebetween the side bars, so that it can be swung between them when thebody is folded onto the running-gear, as will be explained. Side arms I)are pivotally connected with the body, herein shown as fulcrumed at 5 onthehandlebars h, and long links 6 are pivoted at 7 to" the arms neartheir outer ends, the'lower ends of said links being fulcrumed at 8 onthe ears 2.

In order to hold the body locked from swinging movement with relation tothe runninggear, 1 have provided latch members d, fulcrumed at 9 on thelinks 3-and having notches 10 11 in their lower edges near their outerends,-a cross-bar d X connecting the members d. A rod 61, secured to theside bars 0 and extended from one to the other ,below the; latchmembers, serves asa keeper, the notches cooperating therewith, saidlatch members swinging between the side bars, aspring .s-

' attached at its ends to the axle b, and crossbar (1 holding the latchmembers and keeper in engagement. When the notches 10 engage the keeper,the links 3 are held from angular movement and the body is maintainedlocked in upright position, but permitting free movement of the bodywith the spring action of the side bars, the latch members d at suchtime assisting 'to support the weight of the body and its occupant. Tofold the go-cart, the cross-bar d x is lifted, releasing the membersdfrom the keeper, and

the body is swung forward bodily onthe pivots 4 as f-ul'cralthe dottedlines in Fig. 6 showing the movement,-and as such movement is he seatswings down behind the foot-rest f and between the side bars intofullline position, Fig; 6. At such time the notches 11 receivethe keeperd and the body and runping-gear are locked in' such positionf While'the'body is being moved into folded position,

thelink s 6- swing on their fulcra 8 and turn 13o tion.

Myinvention is not restricted tothe preclse construction and arrangementshown and Patent,

and means acting automatically by opening or folding of the body,respectively, to lock the I at their ends with theaxles, and bent toform C-springs at their rear ends, a body, pivotal pivotally the sidearms btoward the back of the body, I

as shown in Fig. 6. The go-cart can then be turned into a verticalposition, resting on the rear wheels B, and. either leaned against thewall or hung up orcarried about by the top bar It of the handle.

To restore the go-cart to position for use,

the latch is released and the body and running-gear will swing apartuntil the spring a" causes the notches to engage the keeper, and thebody is then locked in upright posidescrihed, as the same may bemodified or varied in different particulars without departing from thespirit and scope of myinven;

tion. I

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is' T 1. Ina foldinggo-cart, running-gear, includmg contlnuou s sprin'g side bars, a bodyconnected therewith, whereby the running-gear and body may be foldedtogether,

connections between it and the ru-nnlng-gear,

. whereby the body may be folded-'down upon the running-gear, and meansin upright position..

4. In'a folding gocart, running-gear, including continuousspring sidebars, an at tached foot-rest,,a body pivotally connected with the sidebars and adapted when folded to swing betweengthem, and meansautomatically operative by opening or folding of the body, respectively,to lock the body in upright to lock the body or in folded position.

In a folding go-cart,;running-gear, including continuous spring sidebars, a footrest fixedly mounted thereon, abody pivotally connected withthe side bars, arms jointed to the body, meansto automatically move thelatter is swung into folded position, and means to lock automaticallythe body in upright or in folded position.

-6. In a folding go-cart, non-collapsible running-gear having fore andaft continuous spring members, a b

ody pivotally connected :keeper,

as new, and desire to secure by Letters with and supported by saidmembers,and

adapted to be swung down upon them when folded, and means, comprising aswinging, antomatically-controlled latch member and a to lock the bodyfrom swinging movement relatively to the running-gear.

7. In a folding gmcart, non-collapsible runninggear having fore and aftcontinuous spring members, a body having a back, and side arms jointedthereto, means to automatically fold the'side arms against the back whenthe body is folded upon the running-gear, swinging members pivotallyconnecting said body with the spring members of. the running-gear, andmeans to lock automatically the body and prevent angular movement, ofsaid swi'hging connecting members relatively 'to the spring members ofthe running-gear.

8'. In a folding go-cart, non-collapsible run-.

ninggear.having fore and aft spring members bent to form C-springs attheir rearend, a body, supporting-links connected therewith andfulcrumed on the running-gear, a latch member pivotally connected withthe runninggear, a keeper mounted on the body, and

means toautomatically move the latch memher into position to cooperatewith the keeper and lock the body in upright position.

.9. In a folding go-cart, non-collapsible running-gear, including springside bars, a body having a relatively movable back and seat, pivotalconnections between said body and v running-gear, whereby the back maybe swung down upon the seat and the seat upon the side bars, a keepermounted on the seat, and a swinging latch fulcrumed on the side bars andadapted to cooperate with the keeper to maintain the body in uprightposition. i

10. Inafoldinggo-cart,non-collapsiblerunning-gear having fore and aftspring members,

a foot-rest fixed thereon, a body having a pivotally-connected back andseat and swinging side arms, links pivotally connected with the' latterand the seat, the back below the pivotal connection with the seat beingfulcrumed on the spring members, and manually-released locking means toprevent angular movement of the body relatively to the spring members ofthe running-gear, the seat swinging down behind the foot-rest and theside-arm links resting upon the spring members when the body is movedinto folded position.

11. Ina foldingYgo-cart, running-gear, 1n-

eluding continuous spring side-bars, a body comprising aback and apivotally-connected seat, fixed upright ears on the side bars, on

-which the back is fulcrumed below the seat, arms toward the back of thebody when the' d epending ears fixed on the side bars near the frontends thereof, upturned arms fulcrumed on said ears and having aconnecting crossright position, and links pivotally connecting theswinging ag'ms with the back below its to this specificationin thepresence of two subfullcrumathte points of connection lzletvgeen thescribing Witnesses i in S an t earms snapping past ea -eenter q T withrelation to the fulcra of the back and v ELWIN IHOMPSOL" 5 arms when thebody is folded to retain the Witnesses? same in folded position. Y W. P.ABBOTT,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name L W. P. HAWLEY.

